Iodine has long been used for disinfection. Iodine is a member of the halogen group, which includes bromine, fluorine and chlorine, all known antimicrobials. Among the various iodine species, both elemental iodine (I2) and hypoiodous acid have disinfection capability, whereas iodide and iodates do not. The antimicrobial action of elemental iodine is, like all halogens, as an extremely potent oxidizer. Elemental iodine reacts in electrophilic reactions with enzymes of the respiratory chain, as well as with amino acids located in cell membrane and cell wall proteins. The well-balanced tertiary structure necessary for maintaining the respiratory chain and cell integrity is destroyed, and the microorganism is irreversibly damaged. It is speculated that iodine molecules penetrate the cell wall of microorganisms and inflict structural damage on the capsid protein. Halogen disinfection is a form of chemical sterilization in which oxidation of cell constituents and halogenations of cell proteins occurs. At the same time, based on a review of the available toxicology data, in July 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that iodine and iodophor complexes are of very low toxicity by the oral, dermal, and inhalation routes of exposure. In short, elemental iodine and its complexes are simple and inexpensive antimicrobials that are useful as disinfecting agents.
Iodine, like other oxidizing biocides, may be rendered ineffectual when reduced or oxidized through organic contact in solutions. Therefore, being able to expose microbes on surfaces to elemental iodine without organic or fluid interference may offer the means to provide significant disinfection. It is therefore an object of the present invention to generate a significant quantity of elemental iodine-laden gas (or vapor), a known disinfectant, for presentation so as to have an antimicrobial action on the surface of an object.